What We’ve Been Reading in August
by Mary Jo
Pat here:
Because we all need a laugh right now, I want the whole world laughing and reading A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz. I’m so excited by this book that I’m actually writing about it now instead of six months from now, as I tend to do. We need this book. I’ll warn now that it’s epistolary, but it couldn’t have been written any other way except in the instant exchange of emails and the more thoughtful range of newspaper articles and journal entries from all the townspeople involved in this insane tale.
Technically, the story is about a genius NYC chef who fails so catastrophically that he has no choice but to flee to his wife’s former home in rural Kansas. It is painfully obvious that the author knows rural small towns, the kooks, the patriots, the church ladies, the willful ignorance, and the willingness to understand and share with neighbors. While we’re at it, let’s throw in fat cats flouting environmental laws, a few alpacas, and a blue guitar. But what it really is, is a head-on collision between just about everyone, from intellectual chef artists to drunken little girls and all the people you read about in the newspapers every morning. It’s brimming with joy and goodwill and stupidity that all works out for the best, eventually. Please, please try it. You won’t regret it!
And for the flip side of today’s world, try Dead Money by Jakob Kerr. He’s a brand new author but wow, he knocks this one right out of the box. He knows the tech 
industry inside and out and manages to rip it up while taking down the male hierarchy and building a female character who absolutely owns the entire novel. I guess I can call this a tech thriller, not a legal thriller, even though the main protag is a lawyer, and the plot is ostensibly about the murder of a billionaire tech tycoon. I pretty much guessed most of the intrigue after a third of the book, but the action was so intense, so cleverly built, step-by-step, that it was impossible not to go along for the ride. And even having figured the intrigue, I was thrown off by the twists and turns just as if I were on a good Disney ride. I enjoyed having the woman in charge for a change!
Andrea here:
I get a monthly newsletter from my local library on new mysteries, and the description of A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao sounded so interesting that I rushed right to the bookshelves and checked it out. And I’m so glad I did so! The setting is unusual—it’s set in 1914 in colonial Fiji, one of the more tiny and obscure pieces of the British Empire.
Sergeant Akal Singh, is a rising star in the British colonial police force, though he only reluctantly left his home in India to join the force because his parents needed money for his sister’s dowry. He finds life in Singapore interesting . . . but after a mistake made during an investigation, he suddenly finds himself exiled to Fiji. He hates it there—there’s nothing to do, and his British boss dislikes him, so assigns him to frustratingly boring misdemeanors. But when he finds himself put on the case of an indentured Indian worker who has gone missing, his sleuthing skills triumph over his discontent.
The mystery is really well-done. It explores a number of serious social issues, like racism and the exploitation of workers, as Akal himself reflects on his own assumptions about caste and privilege. The more he delves into the case, the more it’s evident that all is not what it seems. I highly recommend it. And it’s the start of a new series. I’m heading to check out Book 2!
Nicola here:
I’ve been writing like mad to meet my deadline this month and have a pile of novels waiting as a treat when I finish, as I haven’t had much chance to read for fun. 
However, one book that I did look at because I was reviewing it for a magazine, was Measuring Monarchy by Tim Hames. It’s a very entertaining non-fiction look at which are the most overrated and underrated British Kings and Queens.
As Tim Hames points out, we often debate who was a “good” queen or a “bad” king but this is so often based on a few historical anecdotes and whether we like them or not. He therefore came up with five metrics for monarchy to measure them by. These are: Professional reputation, popular standing, handling of public finances, conduct of foreign policy and succession planning. He then takes a selection of monarchs and decides which have been overrated and which have not been given the credit for their achievements. Although it sounds dry, it’s a thorough but firmly tongue in cheek look at the debate of what makes a good monarch. So, for example, Richard the Lionheart, so often considered a hero, is overrated on this scale because he spent almost all his time fighting abroad and taxing the English to pay for it.
I found the sections on underrated monarchs the most interesting because here the author is making a case for those rulers who we don’t often hear much about, like Queen Anne or William IV. I learned a lot of useful and fascinating history here! Overall, I think the book will cause as much debate as settle it – I don’t think people are going to accept that either Queen Elizabeth I or Queen Victoria were overrated without a fight! A fun read that was full of interesting historical facts as well.
Anne here:
I’ve been madly working on a book, and also away, attending the Romance Writers of Australia conference, in Tasmania. So most of my reading has been re-reads of old favorites, except for one, just out, which I could not resist.
Seven Brides for Beau McBride by Amy Barry
This is book #3 of the “Brides of Montana” western historical series, and I enjoyed it as much as I did Books #1 and #2— which was very much. The catalyst for each story is teenage Junebug, the kid sister of four big (gorgeous) bossy brothers. They live a fairly isolated life, and being the only girl, all the domestic chores — cooking, washing, cleaning etc. fall to her. But she hates domesticity, is a terrible cook, and would rather go fishing any day. So in book #1 (Kit McBride Gets a Wife) she hits on a scheme to get a wife for one of her brothers, because it stands to reason that cooking and cleaning were what wives do. So without telling anyone, she orders up a mail order bride for her brother Kit. It’s a wife for Junebug, really.
And the fun starts there. Junebug is one of those standout characters that you’ll never forget. She is smart, determined, wily and unrepentant — and very funny. And while you might expect each book to run the same route, they don’t. There are surprises all along the way.
Mimi Matthews said: “Seven Brides for Beau McBride is the sparkling, swoony, and laugh-out-loud funny romance we all need right now. The perfect tonic for these turbulent times. You’ll be smiling all the way through.”
And I agree. I really recommend these books. To get a taste, I suggest you click on the Amazon link for book #1 (Kit McBride Gets a Wife) and read the sample for a delicious taste of Junebug’s reasoning. Read to the end of it where you’ll find Junebug’s hilarious advertisement for her brother. And then read the books in order.
Mary Jo here:
Laura Resnick, the Word Wench site wrangler, started out as a romance writer under the name Laura Leone (“Laura the Lion”) and wrote a number of books filled with wit and humor. My favorite of those stories is Fever Dreams , a fast paced adventure romance set in the fictional South American country of Montedora that is on the verge of collapse.
Heroine Madeline Barrington is wealthy, scarily controlled, and an executive in her family’s vast business empire. Sitting in an un-air conditioned bar after a fruitless day of waiting to fly home to New York, she drinks too much and goes upstairs with Ransom, the tough, hot guy who has been flirting with her. After a wildly passionate night, she disappears the next morning without even leaving her name. Ransom was not pleased, to say the least, but that was the end of it.
Six months later, Madeline must return to Montedora to complete a business transaction and her concerned father decides to send a highly trained bodyguard with
her. Guess who. <g> Ransom and Madeline are equally shocked and horrified, but business is business and soon they are back in Montedora, and it isn’t long before they’re running for their lives in the jungle in the middle of a revolution. It’s been years since I read Fever Dreams, and I’d forgotten just how much smart, fast-moving, sexy fun the story is. Enjoy! (The image of the colorful parrot on the left was the original cover, which I like much better than the less dramatic image to the right.)
Another great recent read is Nancy Herkness’s Royal Caleva: Gabriel, the Duke of Bencalor. Fictional Caleva is a wealthy and storied island in the Atlantic, west of 
Spain. Gabriel is the nephew of King Luis and his best friend, Raul, is the crown prince. Confronted by kidnappers, Gabriel claims to be the prince because honor demands that he protect the heir. He is abducted, kept under dire conditions, and his ear is cut off and sent to his horrified family. Though he is rescued, the trauma lingers. Worse, the damage to his ear seems to have destroyed his career as a revered flamenco guitarist.
American computer genius Quinn Pierson is hired by the Royal Caleva security chief to help run down the kidnappers. She is brilliant at ferreting out information, and her hunt for the kidnappers throws her into contact with Gabriel. Unexpected understanding and attraction draw them together, but what future can there be for an American computer genius with a shady past and a damaged royal duke? Read and enjoy!
So what great books have you been reading? Please share!
Mary Jo
Pat, you’ve definitely piqued my interest regarding A Town with Half the Lights On. I’ll admit to a real fondness for epistolary works.
And, Anne, the McBride books also sound tempting.
As does A Disappearance in Fiji, Andrea.
That parrot cover looks awfully familiar, Mary Jo! It is definitely more memorable than the newer cover.
Measuring Monarchy does sound like fun, Nicola.
So many tempting choices….
Kareni – A Town with Half the Lights On is currently available on
Kindle for $2.51 – and I second everything Pat said about it!
Thank you, Constance!
A Disappearance in Fiji is VERY good, Kareni. I think you’ll enjoy it.
Over the past four weeks ~
— enjoyed the contemporary romance Like You’ve Nothing Left to Prove by E.L. Massey which is a continuation of the story began in Like Real People Do which I read recently. Definitely start with the latter.
— also enjoyed All Hail the Underdogs by E.L. Massey which features two seniors in an elite boarding school who play ice hockey. One lead is black and his loving adoptive parents are white and wealthy; the other lead is white and on a scholarship with an abusive father who has just been imprisoned. They get off to a poor start but soon connect.
— enjoyed the New Zealand set contemporary romance, Catch a Kiwi by Rosalind James. (Interestingly, this is the second book I’ve read recently by this author in which a vehicle goes off the road.) This featured a woman with a storied past and her younger cousin who are working low paying jobs in New Zealand and a (wealthy) man who comes to their rescue during some seriously bad weather.
— reread with pleasure Shards of Honor (Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold. While I enjoyed this science fiction reread, the author’s Curse of Chalion is by far my favorite of her books.
— enjoyed a reread of Glass Tidings by Amy Jo Cousins; this contemporary romance featured a holiday store owner and a young man, a glass blower, who usually works at Renaissance Fairs. The first man is prevailed upon to host the second who has witnessed a hit and run accident.
— enjoyed Swept Away by Beth O’Leary which is a contemporary romance; most of the book takes place on a houseboat that floats out to sea while the main characters are indulging in what they anticipate will be a one night stand. They get to know each other as they attempt to survive until they can be rescued. One aspect of the last part of the story strained credulity, but I enjoyed the characters and their story.
— quite enjoyed Free from Falling by E.L. Massey which is a contemporary romance between an ice hockey player and a woman (trans) who is the lead performer in a rock band. It was a pleasure seeing these characters get to know each other. This book has a goodly amount of language but little shown beyond kissing.
— for my book group, I read Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. I did not find this a depressing or onerous read (as I often do with my book group selections); I found it a relatively easy read that left me with questions. It’s set in what seems like our world in perhaps the near future; the title character, Klara, is an artificial friend (a solar powered robot) purchased to be the companion of a teenaged girl.
— enjoyed This Beautiful Day by Fred Rogers; Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood seemed to be a genuinely lovely person. For my library’s summer reading program, I elected to read this book to fulfill a prompt to read in an unfamiliar genre. This proved to be a very quickly read 400 page book!
— enjoyed Shoemaker’s Wife by Celia Lake which is a fantasy romance set in a slightly alternate England adjacent country, Albion, in which magic exists. The female lead is taking care of her aunt’s apothecary shop when her husband, a shoemaker, returns from serving in the Great War. They need to learn how to be together after their quick wartime marriage.
— enjoyed Best Foot Forward by Celia Lake; this was a fantasy romance set in the thirties as two magically talented men work to rescue one’s scientist friend who is being kept from leaving Germany. The lead characters are a happily married man with a very understanding wife and a man who might be described as asexual.
— read an entertaining book that made me laugh a lot ~ The Phallus in Nature by Augusta Reilly. The title of the book is the title of a best selling book published by the lead female character who is a photographer of phallic shaped objects such as mushrooms, clouds, etc. The male lead owns a tiny home duplex in Moab, Utah, and rents out half to the female lead. Amazon describes this as absurdist fiction, and that’s a good description. It has some over the top situations, but it’s fun. I thought it was going to be a romance, but it’s not quite. Have you ever been reading a book and turned the page expecting more? This book finished a bit abruptly.
— Last month, I read the first book by a new mystery author; I just read her second book, Leave No Trace by Jo Callaghan. In this book, Detective Kat Frank and her team (which includes a holographic AI detective) are called in when a dead crucified man is found nearby. Sadly book three is not yet available in the US.
— read Marvellous Maps: Our changing world in 40 amazing maps by Simon Küstenmacher with illustrations by Margarida Esteves; this had some intriguing maps and tidbits of knowledge. It is categorized as a children’s book. I read this to fulfill a prompt for my library’s summer reading program of reading a book to increase your knowledge of the world.
— enjoyed The Fossil Door by Celia Lake, a 1920s set fantasy romance in a slightly alternate England and Scotland in which some people have magic. The two leads are tasked with determining why a magical portal has stopped working. The male lead is a young investigator from a very wealthy family (a fact he tries to hide as much as possible); the female lead who is in command of the project is an orphan of Indian descent from a poor and non-magical family.
— enjoyed Stuck with You by Ali Hazelwood; it’s a contemporary romance novella which begins with a man and woman getting stuck in an elevator. Both are engineers, and they work for different companies in the same building.
— enjoyed yet another fantasy by Celia Lake, Sailor’s Jewel. The vast majority of this took place on an ocean liner in 1901; it featured a woman, a healer, about to take on new responsibilities and a man whose brother owns the shipping company.
— enjoyed a historical romance set in 1973 New York City, Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots by Cat Sebastian. This featured a doctor running a clinic for those with low income and a young man trying to determine his path in life. The two meet and become friends and then feelings develop. (And, yes, it’s sobering when your childhood is considered historical!)
— For my local book group, I read 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak. This book is set in Istanbul and begins with the realization by the focal character (a prostitute) that she has been murdered. Scientists have found that the brain can be active for as much as ten minutes and 38 seconds after death, so the first part of the book has the main character recalling significant events in her life and the five people who have become her good friends. The next part of the book focuses on her friends as they come together after learning of her death. This book has dark parts but also camaraderie and humor. My group all liked the book, and we had a good discussion.
— had great pleasure in rereading Linesman, Alliance, and Confluence all by S.K. Dunstall. This is one of my favorite science fiction series.
— enjoyed the contemporary romance The Unlikely Spare by Jax Calder; it features a prince of (an imaginary) England and a man serving on his personal security team. The book primarily takes place on an official tour in Australia and New Zealand. This is the third book in a series; I also enjoyed the first book but the second is by far my favorite of the three.
— also read It Takes a Psychic, the latest paranormal romance by Jayne Ann Krentz. While this was a pleasant read with lots of dust bunny time, I don’t see rereading it. (At one time the author was one of my top three favorites; I think it’s been several years now since I’ve read any of her books.)
“when your childhood is considered historical”
Last year Twitter was all abuzz about a period drama series based on a popular novel. Was it by Austen? Bronte? Dickens? No, no & no.
Rivals. The series was Rivals, based on the Jilly Cooper book. Apparently the *1980s* now counts as ‘period drama’: my teenage years!!
I definitely hear you, Ginger Cat. So, in your expert opinion, was it well done?!
Urk! I remember reading that book. It was entertaining, but not exactly Jane Austen!
As always. Kareni. you astonish with the amount and variety of your reading! And for the record, while I’ve read and enjoyed almost everything Lois McMaster Bujold has written, I ADORE The Curse of Chalion. It’s one of my all time favorite books.
Read on, Book Champion!
Thank you for the kind words, Mary Jo. Though I think Book Champions are those who create the books that I so enjoy reading!
Adore is an excellent word that I might adopt, too, when it comes to The Curse of Chalion. I was thinking that my very favorite books feature a genuinely good person as the lead — Caz in Chalion, Maia in The Goblin Emperor, and Ean in Linesman.
Kareni, every time you post a list of your reads, you are championing them and help others discover those books. So yes, you are a champion!
Funny thing – my husband is reading those McBride books right now. He likes Westerns & those came up. He’s been on a tear reading Louis Lamour’s Lost Treasures. He also read Mary Jo’s Silver Lady & Golden Lord. My binge has been Alyssa Maxwell’s Gilded Newport Mysteries. I love them & now I’m caught up for the new one just out. I also have to give a shout out to my book club read Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford. Historical alternate universe in 1920’s America.
Jeanne, your household is buoyant with good books! Thank you for sharing.
I have had an interesting month of reading.
The Eights by Joanna Miller was about a fictional group of women who were the first to join Oxford University just after WW1. Its main theme is how they were nearly as traumatised by the war as their male contemporaries, as well as how they overcame the misogyny of the era.
The Devonshire Dance by Rosanne E Lorenz. This is Book 3 in her Kendall series. She does an excellent job of Regency from a slightly different pov ie not all Almacks, the season etc. However the HH is called Nigel, which is not a heroic name for me, and you really have to have read book 1 and 2 to understand his story arc
Small things like these by Claire Keegan is a startling novella about Ireland in the early 80s when they were just coming to terms with the horror of the Magdalene laundries run by the Catholic Church.
My final book is highly recommended; The story of a heart by Rachel Clarke. This is an extraordinary non-fiction about one child dying and their heart being transplanted to save the life of another child. It covers the life stories of the children and their families but also the medical staff and the various medical innovations that made such an operation possible. I needed an entire box of tissues but felt hopeful about the future of humanity, compared with all the rest of the rubbish happening in the world at the moment
Alice, these all sound powerful and original. Thank you for sharing. (And I agree that Nigel is not a very hero-ish name!)
This month I enjoyed:
“The Ladies’ Road Guide To Utter Ruin” (Alison Goodman), a sequel to “The Benevolent Society Of Ill-mannered Ladies” which I loved. Always good to see romance-tinged novels with slightly older heroines, even more so in a historical setting
– Lady Julia Grey mysteries (Deanna Raybourn). I inhaled the first three in this series
Have just started the Daphne du Maurier classic Jamaica Inn. It seems very Gothic, which isn’t my usual genre so will probably be slower going for me.
Ginger Cat, these are all nicely different angles for reading historicals. (Yes, Jamaica Inn is pretty Gothic–it was a book of its time.)
I rated three audios this time:
Amanda Quick ’Seduction’.
An amusing story about Battle of the sexes in Regency times. A feisty lady establishes her own space and determines a happy outcome in a dangerous world.
Amanda Quick ’Otherwise Engaged ‘.
Absorbing murder mystery/thriller with romantic thread ,spies and technology interest…. almost as good as Andrea’s mysteries!
Andrea Penrose ’Murder on Black Swan Lane’
Excellent opening book in the Wrexford and Sloan series. I liked the reference to real scientists (Humphrey Davey and Isaac Newton) and the interest in alchemy by the villain. A real page turner!
Thanks for all the suggestions. As a Western fan I have added the Amy Barry audios to my wish list for next time!
Quantum, Andrea REALLY does her scientific research, and Amanda Quick is always fun. Nice that you’re also finding new Westerns to enjoy!
So glad you enjoyed Murder on Black Swan Lane . . . the science get even more twisty as the series goes on. Book 8 has a lot about the calculus of variations and the physics of bridges . . . which I discovered is WAY more complicated than one might think! (Thank heavens I have a very smart physics expert friend, who helped grasp the basic concepts!)
I’ve been on a major Mimi Matthews binge! Although I buy every one of her books when it’s released, I had for some reason never continued her Somerset Stories series past the first book, The Work of Art. This month I read #2 Gentleman Jim, #3 Return to Satterthwaite Court, #4 Appointment in Bath, #5 A Lady of Conscience, and finally her recently released #6 The Governess and the Rogue. The first 2 take place during the Regency, and the following 4 are set a generation later, during the Victorian era, and involve the grown offspring of the couples in the first 2 books. All her books are enjoyable, but my favorites of the series are The Work of Art(so good!), Return to Satterthwaite Court(a different kind of heroine for Matthews, this one takes the initiative and chases the hero!), A Lady of Conscience(a very starchy hero comes unraveled), and The Governess and the Rogue(a fake engagement turns out as you would expect!). Somewhere in there, I also did rereads of The Work of Art, The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter, and The Matrimonial Advertisement, a favorite of mine.
Aside from that, I read 2 fairly recent Carla Kelly books, The Unlikely Master Genius and The Unlikely Spy Catchers. These were set in the world of the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, which is her happy place. The main characters are already married, that happened in a prequel novella, The Christmas Angle(not a misspelling!), so most of the conflict is external. So these books are about their further adventures, and they are sweet and charming, yet rather brutally realistic about the realities of war, poverty, etc. The second one has a complicated spy plot, a departure for Kelly. If you are a fan of her books, I recommend giving these a try, and don’t skip the prequel! It can be found on Kindle in an anthology called “A Country Christmas”.
I enjoyed that Carla Kelly series, too, Karin, and am waiting hopefully for my library to buy the latest volume. And, yes, they do seem brutally realistic.
I think I first heard about them through your mention here, so thanks!
Karin, binging on Mimi Mathews is a most excellent thing to do! Carla Kelly is another fine binging, but with a very different voice. Her Royal Navy books really have edge.
Yes, they do have an edge! And Kelly and Matthews are two great examples of how you can convey sexual tension and heat in a closed door romance.
The fourth book in Cynthia Harrod-Eagles series Ashmore Castle came out this month and as it had been some time since the last one I reread the four together. It’s a great series and each book picks up exactly where the last one ended.
I also read The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton which I’ve long wanted to do and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m now reading The Peculiar Incident at Thistlewick House by Jenni Keer. Her books are an automatic buy for me as she writes great stories that have lots of twists in them.
Looking back now, I’ve had a quite month on the reading side.
Teresa, you really have a most excellent reading month! May September be equally good for you.
Have you read Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Morland Dynasty series? It is very long but worth it. It is a family saga that starts in the 15thc and goes all the way up to the early 20thc. I couldn’t put it down , the characters were so intesting and absorbing. Below ks a website with more information if you are interestedi
https://www.cynthiaharrodeagles.com/morland-dynasty/how-it-all-began/
Jane, I wasn’t familiar with Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, but I’ve just looked at her web page and I’m fascinated! Many thankd.
I only just saw this Janea! I knew of the Morland series but didn’t attempt it because it’s so long. Maybe I should have another think.
Thank you for the link!
Just finished Six Weeks by the Sea by Paula Byrne about jane Austen and Family at the seaside. Amazing hiw she is abke to erite in the style kf Austen herself and a very moving interesting story.
Found two books by Rafael Sabatini thet i had never read and were very good and fun(as he invariably js) The Snare and Master at Arms.
Susan Kearsly’s new book, The King’s Messenger, a fun, historical thriller set in 1613.
A book of Ray Bradbury’s short stories which i had not read in donkey,s years and always enjoy. He is an amazing writer and many are like watching a Twilight zone episode!
Eagerly awaiting Andrea’s new novel in September!
Many books i took out of the library were no goes so I shan,t mention them.
Jane, it’s sadly true that many books just don’t catch our imagination. Luckily there are always more books to consider!
Oh yes! Still, too many books to consider,even read! So many books so little time! I wish i was a faster reader…..😊
Someone here recommended The Curse of Chalion, which I had started but not finished, so I went back and read it. I *LOVED* it, so am now reading more of Bujold’s books. The Curse reminded me strongly of the cursed kingdom trilogy by Emily Gee, which I loved and have read several times. The first book is The Sentinel Mage.
How wonderful to find a new book to LOVE, Linnea. Given that I’m one who very much likes The Curse of Chalion, I’m off to investigate The Sentinel Mage.
Linnea, I’m another who loves THE CURSE OF CHALION, so it’s time to look up Emily Gee’s Sentinel Mage. I’ve read other of her books, but not this trilogy.